The Australian Communications Authority is considering an overhaul of telephone numbering which would guarantee Sydney a 10 year supply of numbers.
The ACA has called for comment on the plan, which would see a range of new telephone numbers introduced for the Sydney CBD, Newcastle, south west Queensland and Western Australia's Rottnest Island.
The additional numbers are necessary due to increased demand for services in these areas and, in Sydney's case, would give the city "at least a 10 year supply of numbers."
Numbers currently in use across the Perth area would be extended to Rottnest Island.
The ACA says the proposed changes will not affect the cost of a call, although they will change the level of geographic number information available in the Sydney CBD and Rottnest Island.
"The impact on businesses and organisatons using a business telephone system will be minimal because there will be no need to modify PABX and other systems to allow or bar access to the CBD or Rottnest Island numbers," ACA Chairman Tony Shaw said.
However, new numbers for Newcastle and south west Queensland may have implications for customer equipment and dialing.
"Business telephone systems such as PABXs and Commanders may need to be reprogrammed to enable calls to be made to the new numbers," he said.
The authority will accept submissions on the numbering plan up until August 7.
